A team of eight structural engineers from Keast & Hood Co.’s Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia offices participated in a volunteer work day at the Chesapeake Bay’s Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse on September 23, 2011. The day marked the fourth annual volunteer day for Keast & Hood Co. and demonstrated the firm’s ongoing commitment to Thomas Point and the U.S. Lighthouse Society

The volunteer team performed preservation maintenance including scraping, painting, cleaning, repairs, and debris removal.

Principal Matthew J. Daw, PE, LEED®AP said, “We are grateful to the U.S. Lighthouse Society and the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse Foundation for allowing us the opportunity to volunteer in such a beautiful setting.”

Keast & Hood Co. has provided professional and pro bono structural engineering for historic preservation at Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse since 2006, including foundation rehabilitation and timber-framed cottage deck restoration.

The Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse is the oldest, unmoved, spider-type screwpile lighthouse in the U.S. Built in 1875 as a replacement for an on-shore tower, the lighthouse is located in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay.